London, Calais, and the English Channel

This image, acquired by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite, shows parts of England and France, separated from each other by the English Channel.

The large grayish spot towards left center of the image is the city of London, which sits on the Thames River. At the tip of the peninsula that juts out into the Channel is the city of Dover, famous for its white chalk cliffs.

Across the water from Dover is the French city of Calais. Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 21 miles wide there, and is the closest French town to England.

In the English channel, swirls of phytoplankton color the waters green.